| Wentworth Institute of Technology | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Honesty, Energy, Economy, System[1] |
| Established | 1904[2] |
| Type | Private |
| Endowment | US$ 66.7 Million [3] |
| President | Zorica Pantic |
| Academic staff | 134[4] |
| Undergraduates | 3,636 (3,412 full-time)[4] |
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Campus | Urban, 35 acres[4] |
| Athletics | Division III[5] 14 varsity teams[6] |
| Colors | Black, Gold, and Cardinal Red[5] |
| Nickname | Leopards[5] |
| Affiliations | Colleges of the Fenway |
| Website | www.wit.edu |
The Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT) is an independent, co-educational, technical design and engineering college located in Boston, Massachusetts. Wentworth was founded in 1904 and offers career-focused education through its fifteen bachelor's degree programs in areas such as architecture, computer science, design, engineering, engineering technology, and management, as well as Masters degrees in architecture and construction management.[2] Wentworth is one of six institutions of higher learning known collectively as the Colleges of the Fenway.
Contents |
In 1903, Boston businessman Arioch Wentworth left the bulk of his estate, estimated at $7 million, for the purpose of founding an industrial school within the city.[7] Accordingly, a board of seven directors incorporated Wentworth Institute on April 5, 1904, as a school "to furnish education in the mechanical arts."[8] The directors spent several years investigating the educational needs of the community and increased the endowment — only $3.5 million at the time and reached a settlement with Wentworth's daughter, who had contested his will.[9][10][11] — The campus was established in Boston's Back Bay Fens, and Arthur L. Williston was hired as the first principal of the college.
On September 25, 1911, Wentworth opened its doors as a technical school to 242 students. The school quickly gained enrollment and by 1919, it had 1,800 students in day and evening programs and 45 teachers.[12] In 1953, Wentworth named its first president, H. Russell Beatty. Wentworth became a degree-granting institution in 1957 and began awarding its first baccalaureate-level degrees in 1970. Wentworth changed from a commuter college to a residential campus in the 1960s with the addition of several residence halls.
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Caucasian American | 75.5% |
| Asian American | 4.7% |
| African American | 4.1% |
| Hispanic American | 3.4% |
| International | 3.0% |
| Native American | 0.1% |
| Multiracial/Other | 9.2% |
In 1972, the Institute admitted its first female students. By 2005, women represented 21% of the academic population. In 1975, cooperative education programs were introduced at Wentworth. In 1973, Wentworth instructors unionized to join the American Federation of Teachers and on October 28, 1977, the teachers of Wentworth went on strike. Before 1977, the college's lower and upper divisions operated as two separate schools; in that year these two schools merged and theWentworth Institute of Technology was created. With admissions numbers growing, Wentworth expanded by acquiring the Ira Allen School building from the city of Boston in 1980 and the former Boston Trade High School in 1983.
Major renovations to the third floor of Annex Hall were enacted in 1989 at a cost of $1 million to add architectural studios and facilities. After renovation, Wentworth gained accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board in 1991. In 1993, Wentworth introduced a pair of five-year engineering programs to the curriculum: electromechanical engineering and environmental science. In 2002, these programs received initial accreditation from the Engineering Accreditation Commission.
In 2001 and 2005 Wentworth opened new residence halls with 473 and 360 beds respectively, ending Wentworth's status as a majority commuter school.
On June 8, 2005, Zorica Pantic was announced as Wentworth's fourth president. She assumed office on August 1, 2005, as the first female engineer to head an institute of technology. Her inaugural ceremony was held on April 5, 2006.
In November 2009, Wentworth became a master's degree-granting institution, with the creation and accreditation of its Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) program.[14]
Wentworth has seven academic departments: the Department of Applied Mathematics and Sciences, the Department of Architecture, the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, the Department of Computer Science and Systems; the Department of Design and Facilities, the Department of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering; and the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Management.[15] Wentworth offers bachelor's degrees in fourteen engineering, technology, design and management majors.[15] Wentworth's co-op program, which begins during a student's junior year, prepares students to enter the work force through practical laboratory experiments, studios and co-op working experience.
Wentworth is a technology-oriented college; all of the residence hall rooms and suites have hard-wired high speed Internet access and all incoming freshman receive a laptop as part of the Institute's Laptop Initiative to provide all students with the proper tools and skills to succeed. Depending on the student's major, a student will receive either an Apple Macbook Pro or a Lenovo Thinkpad to work with. The program, started in 2004 also guarantees that all students have adequate software for all courses and are capable of accomplishing all projects assigned.
As a fundamental part of Wentworth education, the Institute requires students to complete two cooperative education semesters in work placements. These can be anywhere in the world and are always related to the career major of the student to prepare students for postgraduate work or further study. By the end of the two mandatory co-op semesters, students should be better prepared to enter the work force with considerable experience.
The Center for Community and Learning Partnerships supports neighborhood concerns while enhancing the educational and professional environment at Wentworth. It is the hub for community service, service learning, and college access and success initiatives at the Institute.[16] Projects and programs facilitated through the Center during the 2007-08 academic year engaged more than 1,800 students who contributed 116,000 hours to community-based work and service.[6] According to the Independent Sector and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a volunteer hour in Massachusetts was valued at $25.47 in 2007.[17] Based on this figure, Wentworth’s service efforts had an estimated economic impact of approximately $3 million for the 2007-08 academic year.
Wentworth's civic engagement work garnered national recognition in 2008, earning the Elective Classification for Campus and Community Engagement from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.[18]
The Wentworth campus spreads over 35 acres (140,000 m2) in the Fenway, an urban neighborhood of Boston.[4] It consists primarily of 15 buildings for administrative and faculty offices, classrooms, laboratories, a library and athletic facilities. The main buildings are on Huntington Avenue.
The MBTA Green Line provides light-rail mass transit service at two stations. The Institute's neighbors include the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Northeastern University, the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and the Museum of Fine Arts.
Students enrolled for full-time study may live in one of eight residence halls near the main campus buildings. Baker Hall is the home of the First-Year Experience (FYE), where incoming students have the chance to socialize in a more extensive way due to closely grouped residence halls. Other residence halls include Evans Way/Tudbury hall, the Louis Prang/Vancouver Street apartments and the Edwards/Rogers halls for upperclassmen.
Most Wentworth students are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The Institute also has international students from Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Most students choose on-campus housing, which creates a large community of diverse students.
A larger portion of the student body has historically been composed of male students. To balance this, the Institute has placed an emphasis on female applicants and has a number of programs and areas dedicated to women. Resources for women include the Women's Center (a designated female lounge), the Woman to Woman Program, and the establishment of the Society of Women Engineers on campus. More women entering fields such as architecture and engineering has led to more female applicants and female enrollment has recently increased.
Total enrollment: 3,636 undergraduate (3,412 full-time)[4]
Wentworth's athletics programs include 15 varsity, two club, and six intramural sports, emphasizing both men's and women's sports.
Wentworth's athletic program competes as a Division III member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and holds memberships in the Commonwealth Coast Conference and Eastern College Athletic Conference.
Since 1989, the Leopards have captured 16 conference championships in Baseball, Men's Basketball, Hockey, Golf, Men's Soccer, and Men's Tennis. Wentworth has earned an invitation to the NCAA Division III Tournament six times (Men's Basketball: 1997 and 2007; Hockey: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004) in the last 10 years. Wentworth received ECAC Tournament bids in baseball, men's basketball, hockey, lacrosse, men's soccer and women's soccer within the last 12 years.
A multi-purpose athletic field, a gift from Myles Sweeney '28 and his wife, Eugenia, opened in 1996. Sweeney Field is in front of the main building of the Institute - Wentworth Hall. Since 1996, the men's and women's soccer teams have enjoyed a combined home record of 81-27-2 (75% won).
Individual student-athletes have garnered numerous all-league, rookie of the year, and player of the year honors throughout Wentworth's history, with four student-athletes earning five Verizon/CoSIDA Academic honors in the last 11 years.
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
